Apparatuses for filling containers with multicomponent liquids have long been known from the prior art and are used for example to produce carbonated mixed beverages. In such a case, a carbonated liquid is enriched with a syrup or the like and is in this way filled into a container.
For filling purposes, use is usually made of filling devices which have a valve, by means of which the filling process can be controlled. Such apparatuses usually also have a volumetric dosing chamber which is connected via a controllable inlet valve to a reservoir for the liquid and via a controllable outlet valve to a filling nozzle.
Beverages such as fruit juices sometimes cause certain problems. These fruit juices sometimes contain fruit pieces or pulp fractions. These fruit pieces can cause undesired lateral splashes and the like at the valve of the filling devices.
An apparatus for bottling liquids is known from DE 43 24 799 A1. Therein, at least one sensor which reacts to the filling level is arranged in dosing chambers, said sensor controlling an inlet valve and an outlet valve. Also provided is at least one additional reservoir for a liquid, to which each dosing chamber can be connected.
EP 0 354 130 A1 describes a method for adding a product to a liquid. In this case, a dose of the product to be added is determined and this dose is mixed into the main product.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,372,899 describes a bottle filling installation, in particular an installation for producing carbonated beverages into which syrup is mixed.
It may be desirable to provide an apparatus which, particularly in the case of beverages containing fruit pieces, prevents soiling or undesired splashes by the filling device. It may also be desirable to provide a possibility of equipping such an apparatus with standard filling devices, such as standard full-jet valves for example. Further, it may be desirable to reduce the costs of producing such installations.